You can’t say that this disc isn’t loaded. How can you go wrong by programming so many of what today are regarded as “big hits” of the Renaissance–Allegri’s Miserere, Byrd’s Ave verum corpus, Victoria’s O magnum mysterium, Lotti’s Crucifixus, Palestrina’s eight-part Stabat Mater, and Tallis’ 40-part motet Spem in alium? In addition, this very fine–and newly formed–Australian choir includes attractive works by Josquin (Ave Maria), Du Fay (Nuper rosarum flores), Praetorius (one of his many settings of In dulci jubilo), and La Rue (O salutaris hostia), capped by Ockeghem’s rarely heard monsterpiece, Deo gratias, a 36-part canon involving four nine-voice choirs. Generally, these are good-to-very-good performances that make a solid introductory package for newcomers to this exceptional repertoire. However, there are a couple of notable drawbacks that keep this from receiving an unqualified recommendation.
First, intonation is an occasional problem, the culprit being the soprano(s)–sometimes it’s a soloist, at others it’s the section. In the famed Miserere, treble soloist Jane Sheldon has a way of giving a slight swoop up to the high-C–and her pitch accuracy is ever-so-slightly inconsistent from verse to verse. Another prominent soprano, Belinda Montgomery, even manages to sing sharp in several places. Second, while the recording quality–balance and detail–overall is fine, it suffers where we almost expect it to–in the densest works, where the voices just become saturated in the heavy texture. Aside from these reservations, there are many outstanding moments here that, but for some very formidable competition would shine even brighter. The Byrd, Josquin, Palestrina, Lotti, and Praetorius are especially lovely. And as for the Ockeghem, well, as they used to say, it’s a trip!
